UNCOVERED: The theft of a drain cover leaves a gaping hole in
the pavement.
Photos: Tauriq Hassen

Tel: 021 713 9440 Fax: 021 713 9481

GUTTED: This gutter (photo above and right) was ripped from the
pavement in Retreat Road.

Drain cover thieves strike in Retreat
TAURIQ HASSEN

A

N INCREASING number of
drain covers and gutters are
disappearing in the Retreat area.
The covers are usually found on
pavements, while the gutters serve
to funnel water from the pavement
into drains.
Residents say the gutters are being stolen late at night, when the
culprits can operate under the cover of darkness.
Patricia Manual, a resident, says
she noticed three covers going
missing in the space of one week,
which she believes is “unbelievable”.
“Whoever these people are, they
don’t seem to understand that this
is our community they are breaking down.
“You never see them actually

stealing the stuff,” says Manual.
Manual twisted her ankle in Retreat Road last month after stepping
into a hole created after guttering
was stolen.
“I just twisted my ankle, which
was not that bad, but you can imagine what would happen if someone
steps into a hole where the drain
cover has been removed. That can
cause so much more damage,” Manual says.
Faseeg Efendi, a resident living
in Cafda Village, has never witnessed the covers being stolen, but
has heard of the covers being cut up
and sold to scrap dealers.
He said many of the covers would
be cut up into tiny pieces, making
it difficult for them to be identified
by police or the council.
“You can make some money out
of these covers, because they are
heavy. At the scrapyard they weigh

Joseph. He added that anybody
caught in the act or found with
drain covers in their possession
would be arrested and charged with
theft or possession of stolen property. “When we come across a case
like this, council (as the owner of
the covers) is contacted, and they
are requested to visit the station in
order to lay a formal charge against
the suspect,” says Joseph.
If anybody is able to provide information on stolen covers or witnessed covers being stolen, contact
the station and ask to speak to either Warrant Officer John Bartlett,
or Captain Gavin Sheldon, on (021)
702-9000.

ing stripped and carried away by
vandalism and theft, with residents
now becoming accepting. They continue to allow this to become a norm
of life,” says Burger.
“In order to take the iron strips
out, these culprits needed the time
and equipment, so surely someone
or other must have seen something,” says Burger.
Colonel Noel Joseph, station commander for the Steenberg Police
Station, is aware of the concerns,
and confirmed that the station also
received complaints from the community.
However, Joseph felt that the extent of the problem, “was not as bad
as in other areas”.
I still posed a problem for the
community, though. “Removing
these covers is not just against the
law, but it also introduces safety
concerns for the community,” says

in all your items and then pay you
according to the weight,” says Efendi.
Myrna Richards, owner of a
clothing store in Retreat Road, noticed that two covers were stolen
from in front of her business last
week. She now has pools of water
developing in front of her shop,
which she says is “unnecessary and
extremely “inconsiderate”.
“The culprits must know that
they now cause us problems in order to make their money, and it
makes our area look extremely
bad,” says Richards.
Richards did not see the gutters
being removed, but says they also
went missing in the night.
A frustrated ward councillor, Jan
Burger, confirmed that a number of
locations around the Retreat area
had covers missing.
“Retreat is slowly but surely be-

NOT all slaves were removed from doing
business and the historian, JS Marais,
quotes the Fiscal as reporting in 1830
that “slaves made as much as five to 15
sterling pounds per annum by cultivating potatoes, pumpkins, melons, beans,
peas and Indian corn”.
Some freed slaves or free born “blacks”
even owned slaves themselves.
In 1801, a manumitted slave, Christina of
the Cape, became the common-law wife of
another ex-slave, Tobias – a tailor in Church
Street, Cape Town.
Seven years later, Tobias, applied for permission to cultivate a small piece of vacant
land at Diep River.
A quitrent lease was approved. Tobias
had his little farm surveyed, and began to
erect buildings on his land while continuing to work in Cape Town.
The nearest people bordering on the piece

of vacant land were the “free blacks,” Abraham and Frederick, both from the Cape.
In July 1809, Tobias and his assistant Johannes Jepsen (another emancipated
slave), were arrested and charged with
fraud. Both were sentenced to Robben Island – Tobias for 25 years and Jepsen for 10
– without wages.
Christina forwarded unsuccessful petitions to the colonial authorities at the time.
Tobias and Christina could not fulfil their
dream of becoming peasant farmers on
their own piece of land in Diep River.
Round about the same time, in October
1808, Louis of Mauritius, organised and led
a revolt in the grain growing areas, north
of Cape Town. His choice of Malmesbury
was influenced by an acquaintance, Jan of
Batavia.
Louis was a slave and married to a “free
black woman”, Anna, who also owned a
slave, “Oude” Baatjoe. Urban owners who
had “surplus slaves” allowed them to work
away from home for a fixed fee. In this man-

ner Baatjoe worked for
the “free black” couple,
Frederick and Betje
Arendse in Diep River.
Louis, living in Cape
Town at the time, befriended an Irishman,
James Hooper, who
spoke about a slave free
society in Ireland. Louis
planned a slave uprising,
starting in Malmesbury
and ending in Cape
Town, with him as governor and Hooper holding
high office in the new administration.
The revolt failed. Louis
escaped to Diep River,
where he spent the weekend with Frederick and
Betje Arendse. When
Frederick heard rumours about Louis’ role
in the recent uprising, he sent a secret mes-

sage to Field Cornet Colyn, but Louis slipped
away and was eventually
arrested by a detachment
of Khoi soldiers in a wine
house in Wynberg.
. Dr Francois Cleophas
writes a monthly column
for People’s Post on how
things used to be in the
Heathfield/Retreat/
Steenberg area. His family ties to the Heathfield/
Retreat area stretch back
65 years. His grandfather
was principal at the Blouvlei Retreat DRC School
for many years. Dr
Cleophas attended Heathfield Primary School. A
resident of Heathfield for
more than 40 years, he
holds a PhD in sport history from Stellenbosch University.

Fundraiser for
China trip
AN AUTUMN ball will be held on Friday 29
April at St Anne’s Catholic Church Hall in
Steenberg at 19:30.
Funds raised will be in aid of Heathfield
High School music learner, Hayley Coller,
who will be attending a Youth Music International Festival in Beijing, China in July.
Bring your own platter and XYZ. Tickets
cost R80 and the dress code is smart casual.
For tickets contact Sharon Coller on (021)
715-6526, 072 184 5988 or 079 980 8434.

Discussion on
Islamic law
TIMBUKTU BOOKS is inviting the public to a discussion
between Dr Jasser Auda and
Sheikh Seraj Hendricks on
“Maqasid Al Shari’ah as Philosophy of Islamic Law: A Systems Approach” on Wednesday 6 April at 19:00 for 19:15.
The discussion will take
place at the bookshop, situated on G03 Ground Floor, Stadium on Main, Claremont.
Attendance is free. For further information call info@timbuktubooks.co.za, or
call (021) 671-9819.

STAND UP FOR YOUR
RIGHTS: Pupils from
Thomas Wildschutt Pri­
mary School in Retreat,
under the guidance of
volunteer
teacher,
Grant Solomon (at the
back), took part in a Hu­
man Rights Day pro­
gramme on Tuesday 29
March. The pupils per­
formed skits depicting
the importance of hu­
man rights and what it
means to them.
Photo: Melissa Le Roux

SALUTING
CAPE TOWN:
Cape Town cel­
ebrated
its
359th birthday
at the Good
Hope Castle on
Saturday
2
April. A mili­
tary trumpeter
will sounded
the
“Wilhel­
mus”, followed
by a salute
fired by histori­
cal
muzzle­
loading mus­
kets and can­
non. The event
was
co­pro­
duced by the
Castle, Regi­
ment Westel­
ike Provincie
and the VOC
Foundation.

Learning about leopards

Help feed Egoli kids

THE Wildlife and Environment Society of South
Africa (WESSA) members’
evening and talk will be
held on Thursday 14 April
at 18:00 for 18:30 to 20:00.
Dr Quinton Martins, of
the Cape Leopard Trust,
will talk about his eight
years’ work with leopards
in the Cederberg Mountains, studying in intimate
detail the ecology of one of
the most elusive cats, as
well as the threats they

A GROUP of Christian bikers
called On Eagle’s Wings Christian Motorcycle Social Club,
Children and Youth Ministry,
needs donations for its feeding
scheme. The club spends each
Saturday singing and playing
with about 500 children at the
Egoli informal settlement in the
Ottery Farmlands.
They provide the children
with a hot plate of food, which is
often their only meal for the day.
The group will also be starting
a soup kitchen in May.
They will be having their sec-

and other predators of the
Cape face. All are welcome at the WESSA Barn
at 31 The Sanctuary, Kirstenhof. Non-members pay
a R20 donation.
The proceeds go to covering costs and funding
WESSA’s work.
There is a bar available
for wine and soft drinks.
RSVP to Sandy by Wednesday 13 April at admin@wessa.co.za
or
(021) 701-1397.

ond fundraiser – a bingo evening
– to raise funds for the project,
on Friday 27 May at Rondebosch
East Primary School at 20:00.
The community is asked to assist with any donations for the
fundraiser, such as gifts that can
be used as prizes, or donations
towards the work done on a Saturday. Bread, jam, peanut butter, margarine, soup and greens
would be greatly appreciated.
For more information contact
Glenda Maree on 082 945 4954,
Murvin Maree on 083 351 8865 or
Penny Sackim on 083 453 2799.

NEWS

Tuesday 5 April 2011

People’s Post Retreat Page 3

Student kidnapped,
dumped in bushes
TAMMY PETERSEN

A

KENILWORTH student was kidnapped, robbed and dumped in the
bushes at Schaapkraal when four robbers
found him pushing his car in Racecourse
Road, Kenwyn, after he ran out of petrol
in the early hours of Sunday morning.

WELCOME HOME: The skipper of the City of Cape Town­sponsored yacht Spirit of Izivun­
guvungu, Kader Williams from Mitchell’s Plain, hugs his sister, Mezyda Samsodien, after
returning to home shores on Wednesday 30 March. The yacht was damaged beyond
repair in a storm last week, as the crew sailed her back to South Africa after taking
part in the Heineken Cape to Rio 2011 yacht race. The sailors were rescued by a Liberi­
an­registered ship after communication with the boat was lost for four days. They disem­
barked at Simon’s Town harbour.
Photo: Chad Chapman

FEED­
BACK:
Albert
Fritz,
Western
Cape
MEC for
Commu­
nity
Safety,
address­
es an au­
dience
at the
Protea
Archery
Club hall
in Main
Road,
Retreat
on Monday 4 April, while Donald Grant, Western Cape MEC for Education, listens. Fritz
and Grant were invited to the meeting by the DA constituency heads to speak about
community safety and education. Fritz said safety was the responsibility of the entire
community, while Grant highlighted the seven issues that his department would be
focusing on this year, which included improving Grade 12, teachers’ salaries, text
books, matric exemptions, school infrastructure, the Safer Schools campaign, as well
as special needs education.
Photo: Liam Moses

BACK TO THE STREETS:
Major­General
Sharon
Japhta, the newly appoin­
ted Western Cape Deputy
Police
Commissioner,
speaks to a crowd of police
officers and residents in
Lavender Hill on Saturday 2
April during the “taking
back the streets cam­
paign”. The campaign,
which is an initiative of the
Steenberg police, saw of­
ficers from the station and
members of the Steenberg Community Policing Forum walking the streets of the greater
Retreat area in attempt to combat crime. The campaign proved to be successful, as
three black bags of dagga were found in Hillwood, Muizenberg. The event was held
on Friday 1 April and Saturday 2 April.
Photo: Hermanus van Dyk

NEW RELEASE
MANDEVILLA
“ALOHA”

WONDER
ORGANIC
FERTILIZER
10Kg

EM

B ER O

F

M

ALL PURPOSE
WAS
R69.95

PINK
& RED

NOW

R 44 9 5

NOW ONLY

R 49 95

The 27-year-old, who was on his way home
from his fiancée’s house in Lansdowne, told
police that a dark-coloured Opel Kadette pulled up next to him at about
01:00 as he pushed his blue Toyota
Conquest towards a nearby garage.
Warrant Officer Robert Lakey,
spokesperson for Lansdowne police, says two men got out of the car
and approached the student. “One
of the men pulled out a gun and they
grabbed the student, forcing him
into the Kadette.
“As he got in, another man got
out and went to stand at the student’s car. The suspects, the two
men as well as a woman who was
waiting in the car, then drove off,
taking the M5 to Ottery.”
As they drove, the robbers demanded the man’s bank card and
PIN number.
“He complied and the robbers
took him to the ATM at the corner
of De Wet and Ottery roads, where
they withdrew R2 600. They then
got back in the car and started driving towards Philippi,” he explains.
As they drove, the armed robber instructed
him to remove the laces from his shoes, whereafter his assailants tied his hands and feet.
“They drove to Schaapkraal, where they
dumped him in the bushes. Before leaving,
they asked him whether his car was fitted with
an anti-hijacking device and when he said that
it wasn’t, they threatened to come back and
kill him if he was lying. They then left him
there.”
The man, stumbling through the darkness,
managed to find a sharp stone which he used
to cut the laces and free himself.
“He ran to a nearby garage where he contacted his family, who came to fetch him. When
they returned to where the incident started,
the car was already gone,” Lakey explains.

“

As they drove,
the armed
robber
instructed him
to remove the
laces from his
shoes,
whereafter his
assailants tied
his hands and
feet.

SLIM
POP-UPS

3-5Meter
RADIUS
WAS R34.95

The man sustained no injuries.
Hanif Loonat, the chairperson of the Kenwyn Safety and Security Association, says it
is the first time in two years that such an incident happened at the “usually quiet part of
Racecourse Road”.
“This section of the road is usually crimefree and what happened can only be described
as very unfortunate.
“People should realise that no matter where
you are, you have to make every effort to ensure that you are not making
yourself susceptible to opportunistic crooks. It can happen at any
time, in any place.”
He says the local neighbourhood watch, which has been dormant for a year, is gaining momentum for a relaunch.
“We need patrols from locals
who are concerned with protecting their area.
“Structures like these are usually a strong deterrent to criminals, as their presence make it
difficult for chancers to strike.”
Majidie Abrahams, the chairperson of the Lansdowne Community Police Forum, describes
the incident as “surprising”, and
reiterates that the Kenwyn section of Racecourse Road is “usually quiet”.
“This man seems to have been
spotted by criminals passing
through the area who decided to
take a chance.
“However, the main thing that should come
from this is that if you are stranded, phone
someone or go somewhere safe.
“Thieves prey on the vulnerable, so instead
of putting yourself in a dangerous situation,
phone the authorities and explain your situation. A sector vehicle should be at hand to help
or wait with you until assistance arrives.”
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to phone
the station on (021) 700-9000.

POLICE are appealing to the public for help after a burnt body was
found along the M5 highway last
week.
The charred body of a man
thought to be about 30 years old
was found in the bushes at the
Kromboom Road and Racecourse
turn-off at 06:00 on Tuesday 29
March.
The media reported last week
that the body was found along the
same road where actor Brett Goldin and fashion designer, Rich-

ard Bloom, were shot execution
style.
In April 2006, Goldin and Bloom
were found naked alongside the
M5 with their hands tied behind
their back and bullet wounds to
their heads.
However, the
Lansdowne police have not
linked the two cases.
The charred body had apparently been tied to tyres with
chains before being set alight.
According to Warrant Officer
Robert Lakey, spokesperson for
the Lansdowne Police Station,
the body was burnt beyond recog-

nition, and police struggled to lift
finger or toe prints in order to
identify the man.
“The unidentified body of the
man was found with a chain
around his right arm and right
leg in the bushes, near a tree,”
says Lackey.
Police attempted to identify the
body by sending out an internal
memorandum requesting information from their offices of missing people. On the morning of the
incident, a traffic official was
driving down the M5 towards Muizenberg when he spotted a cloud

of black smoke coming from the
bushy areas alongside the freeway. The official immediately
contacted fire and rescue services, which attended to the fire and
found the body.
“The investigation is currently
under way and police have
opened a case of murder, which
we require more information
about,” says Lakey.
Anyone able to shed light on
the incident is requested to contact the Lansdowne Police Station on (021) 700-9000 or Crime
Stop on 086 001 0111.

A FRESH LOOK: Government Avenue
will undergo an upgrade and restora­
tion.

Government
Avenue gets
a facelift
PICTURESQUE Government Avenue,
which runs through the Company’s
Garden, is to be upgraded and repaired.
The project is linked to the city’s Inner City World Cup Non-Motorised
Transport Project, which includes improvements to pedestrian footways.
Some of the existing concrete paving bricks, which were laid around
1970, have been lifted by tree roots,
while in other areas depressions have
occurred.
At the same time some of the other
paved areas will be renewed with clay
bricks and cobbles, such as the Parliament gates, the main gate to the Company’s Garden, the Tuynhuis gate, the
Rose Garden entrance gate and other
smaller entrances along the avenue.
The damaged edges of Government
Avenue will also be restored using
original, historic, granite cobbles taken from the Lower Loop Street area,
where roadworks are taking place.
New benches will replace the old
concrete and wooden-slate benches on
the upper portion of Government Avenue.
To complement this project, a watersaving initiative has been instituted
by the City’s water and sanitation department in the Company’s Garden. It
entails piping Table Mountain spring
water, which yields 2,5 million litres
of water a day in summer.
This watering system has been laid
from the main springs at Homestead
Park, down Upper Orange Street,
along Government Avenue, Queen
Victoria Street and Somerset Road to
the Cape Town Stadium and the Urban
Park as well.
This water is also being used along
the way for the irrigation of De Waal
Park and The Paddocks area of the
Company’s Garden.
The Garden’s much-loved aviary
will not be snubbed during the upgrade.
New birds will be introduced when
the renovations are complete, and
these will reflect, as much as possible,
the local bird population.
The existing building was built in
the 1930s, and has been retained as
part of the heritage of the Company’s
Garden.
The interior has been completely renewed and opened up, and new water
features and a passageway right
through the aviary have been built.
The enclosing mesh has also been
renewed with high-quality fencing,
which allows good visibility.
Once the refurbishments of Government Avenue are complete, the parks
department plans to revive the oncepopular summer “Art in the Avenue”
programme, and will examine the feasibility of the establishment of a regular fresh produce market in The Paddocks.
This relates to the origins of the
Company’s Garden, once a vegetable
farm for the Dutch settlers and the
Castle.

NEWS

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Driver arrested for
assault on cyclist
TERESA FISCHER

A

MOTORIST was arrested for assaulting cyclist Andrew Wheeldon on the same day Wheeldon reported the incident and has since
been released without having to pay
bail.
The incident in which Wheeldon was
allegedly punched in the jaw by an irate
motorists took place at noon on Sunday
27 March near Claremont. Claremont
Police arrested the man who lives in
Rosmead Avenue on charges of assault
on Monday 28 March.
He appeared in court and was released without having to pay bail and
will, however, appear in the Wynberg
Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 14
April.
Wheeldon, the director of the Bicycle
Empowerment Network (BEN), was cycling towards the corner of Rosmead
Avenue and Lansdowne Road, when he
says the motorist jumped a stop street.
Wheeldon says he just shook his head.
He says the driver then suddenly
braked and reversed and as he passed
the car, the driver almost hit him by
suddenly opening his car door. This
happened three times he says, adding
that he would simply ride around the
car.
Then, as he was stopped at a robot at
the Rosmead and Lansdowne Road intersection, the driver got out and approached him, asking: “Do you think
you are a hero?” He replied “no”.
The man then asked: “Why did you
shake your head?” Wheeldon replied
this was because the driver had jumped
the stop street.

“So you think you are a hero then?”
the driver allegedly asked before
punching him in the jaw.
He then asked: “So what are you going to do, hero?” Wheeldon replied that
he was going to report him for assault
and the man said he would go with him
to the police station.
He followed Wheeldon closely, and
this was captured in photographs taken
by a witness, who holds a senior position at a large media house. “He really
picked the wrong guy to hit,” says
Wheeldon wryly. One of the missions of
The Bicycle Empowerment Network is
to advocate safe bicycle travel.
The man then drove away.
Another witness has since approached Wheeldon, saying she saw the
man punch him. She told him that she
was amazed he didn’t even lift an arm
to defend himself, even to protect himself. Wheeldon says the day before he
had cycled over 400 km and was just
hoping to do an easy 10 km. He says it
was partly a case of turning the other
cheek, but adds, “I didn’t have the energy”. Wheeldon says it was good if the
“cyclist/motorist
problem”
was
brought into the public sphere, adding
that it had been kept under wraps for
too long. He pleads for tolerance from
both sides. He highlights the importance of educating drivers and cyclists.
He says incidents can easily escalate
into a full-blown fight. He adds: “Fighting back, by for example slapping someone’s car, is the wrong reaction.”
He suggests stopping confrontation
immediately by down-playing whatever has happened as much as possible
and moving away. If necessary ask for
help, he says.

People’s Post Retreat Page 5

PEOPLE’S PARK: A free concert
and ribbon­cutting ceremony
heralded the opening of the
Green Point Urban Park on Sun­
day which was attended by more
than 5 000 people. Performers
included Elvis Blue, The Rudi­
mentals, Emo Adams, Icon Jazz
Band, Heavenly Quartet and Lar­
ry Joe. The 12,5 ha public park,
which boasts an array of plants
and a biodiversity showcase gar­
den, is open from 07:00 to 19:00
daily. Doing the honours are from
left: JP Smith (ward councillor
and Mayoral Committee mem­
ber for Safety and Security), Dan
Plato (Executive Mayor of Cape
Town), Soli Philander (MC for
the event) and Brett Heron (Mayoral Committee member for Community Services).

It isn’t easy being green
THE NGO Soil for Life is offering two workshops
this April. On Wednesday 6 April from 10:00 to
11:30, Thea Priestley will be hosting a morning
talk on “Gardening with Earthworms”. She has
written a book on the subject called “To Live”.
The price per entry is R100, which includes
tea, muffins and preserves.
Over the weekend of Saturday 9 April and

Photo: Bruce Sutherland

Sunday 10 April, Pat Featherstone, who has a
vast knowledge of natural methods of growing
foods and greening one’s lifestyle, will present
the popular “Grow-to-Live” food gardening
workshop from 8:30 to 15:30 on both days.
Both events will take place at the Soil for Life
Training and Resource Centre in Brounger
Road, Constantia. Bookings are essential. Call
Tania on (021) 794-4982 or email her at info@soilforlife.co.za.

FLOWER POWER: Renowned horticulturalist, David Davidson, will be
giving a talk on his experiences in Thailand on Tuesday 12 April at
09:30, at Christ Church Hall, corner Main and Parish roads, Constan­
tia. Davidson was invited to Thailand after a trip to Singapore to show
the South African 2010 Chelsea Flower Show Exhibit. The talk and
slide show will be on the flowers and arrangements used in Thailand.
The event is being hosted by the Constantia Flower Club. The cost
for visitors is R25 and includes refreshments.

Explore your shore
THE Wildlife and Environment Society of South
Africa (WESSA) has an outing at Dalebrook
(False Bay) on
Sunday 17 April at 08:00 to 10:00.
Come explore this fascinating stretch of rocky
shore during spring low tide with marine biologist, Professor Charles Griffiths, from UCT’s zoology department, as he introduces us to myri-

ads of colourful creatures that thrive along our
coastline.
All are welcome to meet at the Dalebrook car
park (on the Muizenberg side of Kalk Bay harbour). Bring your own refreshments and wear
clothing suitable for the weather on the day.
Non-members pay a R20 donation and the proceeds will go to funding WESSA’s work. RSVP
to Sandy by Friday 5 April on (021) 701-1397 or
admin@wessa.co.za.

NEWS

Page 6 People’s Post Retreat
CLIMBING
THE
RANKS: The old
South African Po­
lice force is re­
membered for its
militaristic, patri­
archal and separa­
tist policies. The
first intake of col­
oured women only
occurred in 1981,
and
19­year­old
Constable Sharon
Geldenhuys (now
Major General Sha­
ron Jephta) was in
that group. On Fri­
day 1 April she be­
came the Deputy
Provincial
Com­
missioner respon­
sible for policing in
the Western Cape.
She is pictured here with Western Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Arno Lamo­
er. Taking up her post, she said one of her priorities would be an aggressive crime­prevention
drive focused on drugs, liquor and firearms, as these are considered the main contributors
to serious and violent crimes. Jephta first started working at Manenberg Police Station.
Soon after that she had a seven­year stint as an instructor at the Bishop Lavis Police College.
In 1988 she was promoted to Grassy Park as a branch commander. She vividly remembers
her commander’s motivation, which read: “She’s on equal ground with her male colleagues.”
She then made a conscious decision not to be equal to her male colleagues, but “to be
head and shoulders above the rest”. Jephta also spent time in Mitchell’s Plain as a branch
commander, and later visible police commander, where she started the first community
policing partnership. In 1998, she became the station commander of Philippi Police Station,
in a time of gang violence. Her interventions, coupled with community involvement, managed
to contain the violence to some extent.
Photo: Supplied

Dance for an innings
THE Victoria Cricket Club will be holding their annual presentation dance at
the John Graham Primary School on
Friday 8 April, starting at 19:30 for 20:00.
Platters will be on the table, but everybody is encouraged to bring their own

XYZ and glasses. A shooters bar will be
available.
The school is located on the corner of
Dick Burton and Milford Roads, and R75
will get you in.
The dress code is smart.

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Man behind
bars for series
of hijackings
REYANA STEYN

A MAN wanted for seven hijackings and
motor vehicle thefts around Cape Town
has finally been arrested.
The Retreat man has a string of hijacking
and car theft cases against him. He appeared
in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
“On Friday 25 March, Manenberg police,
members of the Serious Violent Crimes Unit
and the Organised Crime Unit, followed information of a possible stolen vehicle that
was hijacked in Manenberg,” says Warrant
Officer Ian Bennett, Athlone police spokesperson.
“The hijacking took place on Saturday 19
March in Manenberg Avenue, when a man
was approached by three men, one with a
firearm. The men then drove with the man
until Athlone, and then threw him out of the
vehicle and sped off in his car. Information
given by the Manenberg community said the
car could be in the vicinity of Gansbaai.”
Bennett says police searched the area for
the blue Mazda 323, which was found at an
address in Gousblom Street in Blompark,
Gansbaai.

“A 32-year-old man was arrested and questioned. After tactful interrogation, the suspect told detectives that he had bought the
vehicle, and that the person who had sold the
vehicle to him was on his way to collect the
money owing on the vehicle.”
The 23-year-old man who sold the vehicle
to him was arrested. It was also discovered
that the Toyota Tazz the seller arrived in had
also been stolen in Diep River on Thursday
24 March.
“The passengers of the vehicle, a 20-yearold man and a 23-year-old woman, also from
Retreat, were also taken into custody,” says
Bennett.
“The dedicated detectives then discovered
that the 23-year-old man had several outstanding warrants for his arrest.”
The suspects were transported back to
Manenberg where they were detained.
“We continue to encourage the community to speak out against crime by reporting
all incidents that could jeopardise the safety
of the community,” says Bennett.
The suspects are set to appear in court
again on Monday 11 April for bail application.
To report crime call 08600 10111 or the
Manenberg Police Station on (021) 699-9400.

A future in birds

SENIOR PRIDE: After all the gang violence in Lavender Hill recently, 73 senior citizens of Seawinds and
Lavender Hill were able to enjoy a few hours being themselves again. On Human Rights Day, 21 March,
about one thousand senior citizens from old age homes from across the city were invited to an event
hosted by Mayor Dan Plato. The theme was “Feeling Dignified”. The elderly were provided with lunch
and entertainment by Alister Isobel and other local artists.

IF BIRDS are your passion, then
visit the fourth Biodiversity Expo
at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden from Thursday 5 to
Sunday 8 May.
The Percy FitzPatrick Institute
of African Ornithology at UCT will
be showing its work and discussing ideas for careers at their display.
The exhibit is one of the more
than 30 informative projects that
will feature at this annual event offering ideas for careers in the area
of biodiversity.
Securing a sustainable future in
the face of escalating global environmental change requires innovative approaches to conserving
biodiversity, and this is the Fitztitue’s (as it is commonly known) focus. It is the only ornithological research institute in the Southern
Hemisphere, and arguably one of

the most active in the world in
terms of programmes of both ornithological research and education.
In recognition of its achievements and future potential, the Fitztitute was awarded the prestigious status of one of only six National Centres of Excellence in
Science and Technology in 2004 –
an award made by the South African Department of Science and
Technology and the National Research Foundation.
To find out more about the Fitztitute or a career in ornithology, visit the stall at the Biodiversity Expo
at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in the Old Mutual
Conference Centre.
For more information, visit
www.biodiversityexpo.blogspot.com, or email Augustine Morkel on biodiversityexpo@sanbi.org.za.

Fishmongers continue to dump their waste in vleis
MELISSA LE ROUX

P

RINCESS VLEI is once again being
misused by fishmongers, who
dumped their dead fish into the water
on Wednesday 9 March at about 18:00.
According to Robert Johnson, known to
the regulars at the vlei as Gino and who
has been sleeping on the vlei for about 17
years, the dumping of fish wastage in the
water is a regular occurrence.
However, the ward councillor, Jan Burger, says that it does not happen regularly,
but only “now and then”. “About every
three to four months we will get a complaint about unsanitary dumping of fish.
We had a similar situation at Langevlei,
but we’ve sorted it out.”
According to Johnson, the culprit who
dumped the fish into the vlei was rude, and
assaulted him when he told the heavilybuilt man that he should not dump his

waste into the water.
“People come here to get baptised, and
it’s not healthy, because they could get sick
if fish are dumped in the water,” he says.
Johnson adds that he didn’t want to make
a fuss because he was afraid the offender
would hurt him or his wife, Mieta.
Johnson says
he usually digs
holes in the sand
for the fishmongers who want to
dump their waste.
According
to
Burger, people have been getting baptised
at the vlei for close to 30 years.
A similar problem has been occurring at
Langevlei, where fishmongers also dispose
of fish entrails in the water.
The Rondevlei subcouncil has asked
whether Law Enforcement could extend its
working hours due to problems in the
ward, which include persistent social

problems at Langevlei, and fishmongers
contributing to the pollution of the vlei by
throwing their fish entrails into it.
Law Enforcement responded by saying
that the fishmonger who sold his fish at the
vlei had been asked to trade elsewhere.
Burger said residents could help by reporting the disposal
of waste in the vleis
much faster.
Chairperson
of
the Retreat Community Policing Forum (CPF), Kevin
Southgate, says he is opposed to the illegal
dumping of fish offal in the vlei or anywhere else.
“I am totally against dumping fish wastage into the vleis. It’s unhealthy, and Metro
Police have to monitor the situation. The
fishmongers should be confronted and given a talking to so that they know they mean
business,” he says.

UNHEALTHY: A witness saw a fishmonger dumping
these fish in the Princess Vlei.
Photo: Supplied

GENERAL

Tuesday 5 April 2011

People’s Post Retreat Page 7

City’s new horsepower
does not come cheap
TONY ROBINSON

HAVE you noticed the motorcycles the Cape Town traffic cops are
riding these days? They are
1300 cc Hondas and they cost
about R150 000 each.
Now why do the traffic police need
such powerful motorcycles when
their operations are confined to the
municipal area where
speed limits are between 60 and 80 km/h?
It is true that speed limits do go up to 120 km/h
on the freeways, but
that is not where the
work is.
So what is the point of
motorcycles that can
race along at speeds in
excess of 200 km/h?
For less than half the
price, the City could
have bought versatile
600 cc bikes by the same
manufacturer that are also capable of
excessive speeds. That means they
could have bought twice as many
bikes (or saved a lot of money).
How much money? Well, it would
take a pensioner who lives in a modest home and pays about R500 a
month in rates 16 years to pay the extra cost of a single superbike.
No doubt the traffic department
will have their own story. They will
probably explain about the radios
and other equipment the officers
have to carry, but that’s all bunkum
– radios have never been smaller or
lighter than they are now and, anyway, the bike was designed to carry

Food fair in Retreat
THE Wesley Methodist Church
in Retreat will be hosting a food
fair on Saturday 9 April from
12:00 to 17:00.

A weekend at the Spa
A WEEKEND getaway to Goudini Spa will be held from Friday
24 June to Sunday 26 June.
Tickets cost R750 per person
and a deposit of R250 must be
paid by Friday 25 March. The
balance must be paid by Friday
17 June. All deposits are to be
paid into FNB cheque account
number 62015316848, Grassy
Park branch, branch code
203109. There is a R100 discount

Nominations needed
THE Southfield Neighbourhood
Watch’s annual general meeting
will be held on Monday 18 April
at Southfield Primary School in
Dirkie Uys Street at 18:15. Nominations for the positions of

two. There is no way the equipment
(whatever it is) could be heavier or
less compact than a pillion passenger.
Anybody who has ever ridden a
motorcycle (and I am one of them)
will tell you that a 600 cc machine is
more than powerful enough for traffic work. In fact, the lighter machine
is better suited for use in heavy traffic. Buying the big 1300 cc superbikes
for traffic cops is as extravagant as buying
BMWs and Jaguars for
building inspectors and
social workers.
Of course there was a
time, under a previous
City
administration,
when the mounted traffic officers disappeared
and the new crop of officers tried to do the job
in air-conditioned cars
that cost even more
than superbikes.
Somehow it always
took two cops to drive one car so this
reduced the visible presence on the
roads and it reduced their effectiveness because it is darn difficult to
thread an air-conditioned Camry
through a traffic jam to the scene of
an accident. Once there, the car becomes an extra obstacle.
The mounted traffic officer, on the
other hand, can thread his/her way
through traffic to take charge and get
the traffic flowing again.
So it’s good to see the bikes back,
but why the superbikes? We must
think of the pensioner who has to pay
an extra 16 years’ rates for the extra
horsepower.

The countries that will be represented are South Africa, England, Italy, Portugal and India.
The cost is R75. For more information contact Jake Adams
on (021) 712-2436 or 084 208 0771.
on a full rondawel. Email deposit slips to nazeemebrahim@yahoo.com, fatiemanazeem@hotmail.com,
sorayanazeem@gmail.com or fax it to
086 295 1349. A free ticket, inclusive of accommodation and
meals, will be given to a deserving pensioner who otherwise
would not be able to afford a holiday. For further inquiries call
Ebrahim on 083 792 0096, Fatiema on 079 676 3055 or Soraya on
076 664 5294.
chairperson, vice-chairperson,
secretary, treasurer and operations manager are now open.
Forward nominations to Andrew Lillie, the electoral officer
of the watch, at acgslillie@telkomsa.net or on 083 282 9918, by
12:00 on Wednesday 13 April.

Collect your certificate
CRAFTERS who attended the
Lotto Funding Project at The
Cape Flats Development Association (CAFDA) in January, February and March are asked to
come to The Stables at 8th Ave-

nue, Grassy Park, by 10:00 on
Friday 8 April to receive their
certificates and to take up opportunities in craft work. RSVP
to Joyce on 082 425 3092 or
Amanda on 073 366 4872.

Circus fun for all

cost is R30 for adults and R20 for
children at the Liesbeek Parkway, Hartleyvale, in Observatory. Free, secure, parking is
available. The circus equipment
will also be open for the public
on Friday 8 April from 12:00 to
18:00.
Experience obstacle
courses, foofie sliding and the
flying trapeze and more for only
R40 per person per hour. For
further information and to
book, call (021) 692-4287.

THE South African National
Circus has an amazing family
show with trapeze, acrobatics,
contortionists, the Amazing
Man in the Bottle, hilarious
clowns and much more. Live
and fabulous entertainment at
its best. The circus takes place
on Saturday, starting at 19:30
and Friday 8 and Saturday 9
April, both starting at 19:30. The

BEARERS OF THE LIGHT: Several staff members at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and mem­
bers of Childsafe, an NGO based at the hospital, took part in an Earth Hour event in the hospital’s foyer
on Saturday 26 March. Pictured, here are, (in front) Mathew and Cuba Arendse. (second row) Grace Rwan­
ca, Yumna Abrahams, and Dorothy Schulman of Childsafe, with Jaqualine Adams, Catherine Kestoor, Ayesha
Mustapha and Mogamat Yaseen Mustapha. Professor Sebastian van As, the head of Trauma at the hospital,
is at the centre back.
Photo: Supplied

Little lights convey big message
THE entrance to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital was completely candlelit for Earth
Hour – between 20:30 and 21:30 – on Saturday 26
March.
Fires caused by fallen candles are frequent in
Cape Town. Last winter 23 children and adults died
in fires caused by six fallen candles in Manenberg,
Khayelitsha, and Kleinmond. “These sad events
increased the resolve of Childsafe to continue Safer Candle Project outreach opportunities, and convey the message that a Safer Candle is essential
for all homes,” Dorothy Schulman, of Childsafe, a
non-profit organisation based at the hospital, said.
The Safer Candle project teaches parents how to

make a simple, cost-efficient candleholder using a
large glass jar and dry sand. The candles should
be cut in half, so that the flame is lower than the
top of the jar. Then, if the jar tips over, the sand
extinguishes the flame and prevents the fire from
spreading. Every week Childsafe runs Safer Candle demonstrations in the hospital’s outpatient
waiting rooms. During Earth Hour, Childsafe set
up 24 Safer Candles in the hospital’s main foyer.
“The 24 Safer Candles represent 24 hours in the
day, when all citizens should be aware of energy
saving and climate change,” Schulman said.
For more information about Childsafe visit
www.childsafe.org.za.

LEADER

Page 8 People’s Post Retreat

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Drug abuse shock
SHOCKING statistics in a study conducted by
the University of Stellenbosch serve as a reminder to parents to consider serious measures to protect the next generation in a fastpaced world plagued by substance abuse.
The study, which targeted 400 pupils from 12
high schools in Mitchell’s Plain, was published
by the SA Family Practice Journal last week.
The study found that teenage substance abusers living in Mitchell’s Plain are younger than
their European peers, increasing the risk of dependency at a younger age. It also revealed that
the substance of choice for pupils in the area
is tik, with its use having surpassed the use
of ecstasy, cocaine and crack.
Based on the study, dagga smoking in Mitchell’s Plain was rated at three times the national
average of 10%, determined in 2007.
But while results such as these are indeed
shocking, the question remains: how will authorities and the families of youths respond to
this information to make a tangible difference?
Even if you are not immediately affected by
drug abuse, you’re bound to feel the effects in
terms of drug-related crime in your local
neighbourhood. The police can only fight one
aspect of this scourge – dealing with the criminals who perpetrate the crimes.
The state is drowning under the ever-increasing pressure of drug addicted youths,
with only a handful of state-run drug rehab
centres serving the broader Cape Town area.
In the case of adolescents and teens, it is really up to their parents, relatives, teachers and
active NGOs to make the biggest impact on personal decisions. Parents, relatives and teachers are the roleplayers who should constantly
serve as a moral compass in young people’s development towards adulthood. Having honest
conversations about drug use and abuse, and
using over-the-counter drug tests as tools to
identify potential problems, could also be considered a tool.
With local pupils currently on a week-long
break, have you asked yourself what your children are up to? More importantly, should you
find out what you’ve always dreaded, what will
you do about it?

PETROL is due to increase on Wednesday
and Eskom has increased its cost of electricity by 25.8%.
Petrol will cost just under R10 a litre
once the price increase kicks in at mid-

night on Tuesday.
Commentators are concerned about
the knock-on effects of these two price increases, which are expected to filter into
food costs.

Your SMSes
Is this law going to work?
THE new Act which government
is trying to implement is the Act
that raises the age restriction for
drinking from 18 to 21.
This is believed to help problems related to alcohol, such as
domestic violence and road accidents. Government has noted
that countries where the age restriction for drinking alcohol is
21 leads to lower alcohol consumption.
For a moment, let us be serious. We are not a First World
country, so why are we trying to
imitate First World country tactics?
And let’s be real, will it really
reduce alcohol consumption?
Children are seen to be drinking in their teenage years already, even smoking. Yet, the
South African government is
trying to support this act.
The effects will just be worse;
now we will sit with more 18year-olds drinking alcohol illegally.
The next big thing is corruption. We should seriously take
note of how can we support this
act if it has no real solution to the
constant problems that commu-

nities are facing?
We can agree that the government is trying to solve the problem, but this does not seem to be
the right way to go about solving
these problems.
As South Africa, we should
agree on solving these problems
together.
We are living in a time of democracy. So because of that, we
shouldn’t allow these decisions
to be made without even considering our opinions.
If this Act is implemented, it
will not work if it is only coming
from government’s side.
To make it work, it requires a
lot of effort and money to implement.
This money should rather be
spent on more important things.
The list of problems is endless;
to mention just a few, it includes
housing and education.
Perhaps it is time for South Africans to see that change takes
place rapidly and if you do not
agree with things, then stand for
what you believe in and speak
out against these injustices.
REECE GOODWIN
Crawford

In response
. Regarding the Metro Police
who were sentenced for the death of
Ebrahim Adams: I think the four
were all guilty of defeating the ends
of justice when they cleaned that
van.
Funny enough that someone committed suicide and shot himself
twice? And when Februarie moved
the body further, they could have
driven away. Maybe then he could
have shot himself thrice?
. The post-mortem showed it was
suicide, but the deceased shot himself twice in the head? I mean people, really!
Stop covering up for these killer
cops. Next time it could be you. The
colour of money must be very beautiful.
. People who work in the industrial area adjacent to Flintdale Estate use Kingfisher and Gull Roads
as a short-cut to avoid slow-moving
traffic and congestion at the Princess Vlei Road/De Waal Road intersection.
As a resident just off Gull Road,
I know that the three-way stop is ignored – I see it every day – and most
of the time it’s someone going to or
coming from Princess Vlei Road.
The only deterrent on that route
would be speed bumps. It’s unlikely
that the residents would object. To
the writer: Kingfisher is not paral-

With food, petrol and electricity costing more and more, consumer spending
patterns are expected to revert to the conservatism and caution displayed in the
recession in 2008.

lel to Gull, but perpendicular.
There is a difference.
General
. Aan die drankraad van die Wes
Kaap: laat alle legal drankwinkels
toegemaak word op Sondae. Ek is ’n
gewese alkolis met vier kinders. En­
kel ouer, Retreat
. Don’t pay your TV licence. It is
the right thing to do because I have
a contractual problem with my
bank, as SABC claims they have not
been showing certain cricket
matches. Ganief
. I am responding to the person
complaining that they can’t open an
account with a basic of R6 000 per
month.
It’s funny, my husband opened
two accounts, he got an RCS card,
and a loan from a bank (with a clean
credit record) earning just R3 200
per month.
Maybe you must check your credit record? Just curious.
Fat cats and lean masses
. The collapse of a viable country
starts at presidential level. It then
filters down to ministerial, administrative and police level.
The justice system collapses and
business becomes corrupt. The
broad mass of citizens become lawless and the country takes the route
Zimbabwe took.
It works without fail for the corrupt politicians every time. The solution lies in your hands.
Only a full-blown public uprising
will cure the cancer of corruption

in the ANC government. Granville
. If a person receiving a government pension buys just two loaves
of bread and two litres of milk per
day for one month, then they will
spend virtually their entire pension
on these two basic food items, and
cannot afford to buy meat, veggies
and fruit, which are all vital for
good health.
When the poor can no longer fill
their own stomachs due to greedy
businessmen, you can expect serious civil unrest. Eddie
. Serving members of the
SANDF are prepared to go to war
and die for their country and earn
a meagre salary, and here we have
ward councillors earning R750 000
per year!
For what? Money for warming
their bums on the chairs? Who justifies this logic?
If I take a bullet for SA, it’s cheaper than the councillors missing out
on their privileges. Now, who is
more important?
. How much money will Eskom
and government offer Cosatu to
keep quiet with the massive electricity increase facing consumers?
. Jacob Zuma? What a mockery
that you have alterations done to
your house worth millions while
there are people going to bed hungry.
Can you not afford a loan from
the bank?
. When our justice system is corrupt, it makes a person real sick.

GENERAL

Tuesday 5 April 2011

People’s Post Retreat Page 9

The man behind the baton
WHILE many regular “promenaders” come every year to the
“Last Night of the Proms” for the
repertoire of light classical music
and the medley of choirs, many
die-hards come just to enjoy the
guarantee of yet another spectacular performance by renowned
conductor, Richard Cock.
This year Cock has decided on the
theme of “Gypsy Fantasy” for the
“Last Night of the Proms” taking
place in the City Hall on Saturday 9
April at 20:00, and on Sunday 10
April at 19:00. Globally-renowned vi-

olinist, 21-year-old Jonathan Chan,
and 21-year-old soprano, Maudée
Montiree, head the line-up of choirs.
Tickets are available at R170 and
R210. Visit www.computicket.com
or a local outlet to purchase your
ticket. For more information contact
Graham Todd on 082 498 3986 or
gtodd@intekom.co.za.
. WIN! People’s Post is giving
away a set of two tickets to Last
Night of the Proms on Saturday 9
April. To enter the giveaway, SMS
“Proms” to 34586 by noon on
Wednesday 6 April. SMSes cost R2
each; winners will be phoned.

Big band sound
THE UCT Big Band, under the
direction of Mike Campbell,
presents an evening of jazz
and contemporary popular
music with a South African
flavour at the Baxter Concert

Get hip hopping
TAKING THE LEAD: The star of the
Last Night of the Proms show, con­
ductor Richard Cock.
Photo: Supplied

Win an Exclus1ves shopping voucher
SINCE its launch last March, customers have flocked to the
Exclus1ves.co.za site, which is a virtual
entertainment
galaxy, offering a huge
catalogue of movies,
games, music, printed
books and ebooks.
“Exclus1ves is the future of home entertainment,” says Evan Morris. “The tipping point
has been reached in
our market, and we are seeing unprecedented growth.”
Morris says this is as a result of
Exclus1ves.co.za offering a “sophis-

ticated and efficient online buying
platform, in a convenient, virtual,
interactive,
shopping
environment”.
The site, he adds, is easy
to navigate and the purchasing process is “extremely”
customerfriendly.
eBooks and
eReaders have also given
an impetus to the online
entertainment
market.
“We launched our ebooks
offering quite cautiously towards
the end of 2010, and the response
flooded our sales forecasts,” says
Morris. Exclus1ves.co.za offers

Hall on Tuesday 12 April,
starting at 20:15. Tickets are
available at Computicket or at
the door at R50. UCT staff pay
R45, senior citizens and students R35 and pupils R25.

THE Cape Town Eisteddfod
Hip Hop Dance Competition
will be taking place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May. All
“hip hoppers” are encouraged
to join in on the action with

substantial cash prizes up for
grabs in this new event. For
more information and for entry forms, contact Sharon on
082 563 1693 or email simplyG@worldonline.co.za

shoppers “competitively priced
products, with reasonable delivery
options”. Linked to Exclusive Books,
the website is integrated into the
Exclus1ve Books Fanatics rewards
programme.
Go to www.exclus1ves.co.za for
more information.
. WIN! To celebrate the first
birthday of the Exclus1ves site, People's Post is giving away four vouchers worth R250 each. To enter the
lucky draw to win one of these
vouchers, SMS “Voucher” to 34586
by noon on Wednesday 6 April.
SMSes cost R2 each; winners will be
phoned.

Win as Red Riding Hood comes to town
striptease.
Tickets to the 40-minute show cost
R38, and bookings can be made at
Computicket, at any Shoprite/
Checkers or online at www.computicket.com.
For block bookings or queries, call
Elton on 083 364 8284 or (021) 5582650, or the Baxter Theatre on (021)
685-7880.
For more information on the Lilliput Players, visit their website at
www.lilliputplayers.co.za.
. WIN! People’s Post is giving
away five double tickets to the show.
To win, SMS “Red” to 34586 by noon
on Wednesday 6 April.
SMSes cost R2 each; winners will
be phoned.

MY, WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE!: The
Big Bad Wolf, portrayed by Elton John
Duffy (right), is disguised as a sheep
who tries to fool Red Riding Hood,
played by Nikki Louw.

From 1 April 2011 Eskom’s prepayment metered
customers will beneﬁt from Inclining Block Tariffs or the
IBT structure.

Receipt No
EAPOLVA02854276

Do your sums
It’s really easy to work out what your prepaid electricity will cost
every month. Simply use the example below:
Imagine you purchase R250,00 a month and want to know the
units you will receive.
This is how it will be calculated:

Being efﬁcient with your electricity means that you pay less! For
more information, Eskom customers can contact 08600 37566
or go to www.eskom.co.za/tariffs.
Issued by Eskom Distribution Division April 2011
Eskom Holdings Limited Reg No 2002/015527/06

ESKD135601/E

AFTER a completely sold-out season
in 2009, The Lilliput Children’s Theatre Company will put on seven performances only of “Red Riding
Hood” at the Baxter Main Theatre in
April.
“Red Riding Hood” runs until Saturday 9 April.
This delightful fairytale follows
the well-loved story of the naughty
little girl who disobeys her mother
and, instead of taking the safe route
to visit her granny, goes into the
woods, where she encounters a Big
Bad Wolf (in this adaptation a rather
stupid Loopy-de-Loop type who is a
former music hall star).
Highlights of the show include a
rock and roll Granny and the Wolf’s

*Note: The energy rate includes VAT and the Environmental Levy charge.

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UNNING and elusive rugby should be
on display when the DHL Stormers
take on the Queensland Reds in round seven of the Super Rugby competition at DHL
Newlands on Saturday.
Both teams have always been intent on
moving the ball through the backline, with
“hard-to-pin-down” backs often gaining valuable metres and scoring on attack.
The men from the Cape returned from Durban as the only unbeaten team in the Super
Rugby competition, after beating the Sharks 16-6 in a tightlycontested match at Mr Price
Kings Park on Saturday
evening.
They also ended the weekend on the top of both the
South African conference and
combined logs after the win.
The win in the Shark Tank
was the Stormers’ first since
2004, and head coach, Allister
Coetzee, was impressed with
his troops’ resilience in wet
conditions. “The result certainly was pleasing; it’s tough
playing in front of a packed Durban crowd,”
he said. “The side showed resilience and composure in difficult circumstances. Despite an
unsettling couple of minutes up front, they
managed to gain composure and keep possession.”
A lone try from skipper, Schalk Burger,
was also lauded by the man in charge.
He added that his team’s performance at
the breakdown has been impressive.

“

“With this Stormers team you can expect
a physical encounter each time they play,”
Coetzee said.
“Their ability to handle, and more recently
apply, pressure has been impressive. The entire team’s physicality is intense.”
An overall effort was displayed by the men
in navy blue, with outside centre, Jaque Fourie, again impressing on defence and attack.
Meanwhile, Coetzee and his charges’ attention now shifts to the men from Down Under,
who managed to beat the Lions 30-25 at Coca-Cola Park in
Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
The last time the two sides
met it was the Reds who came
out victorious, in a closelyfought 16-13 encounter in Brisbane.
And undoubtedly the biggest battle will be the one between the fly-halves of both
teams, Peter Grant (Stormers)
and Quade Cooper (Reds).
Both fly-halves have been in
form, with Grant controlling
the Stormers’ backline like a
drill sergeant and Cooper using his ability to create gaps to
get over the advantage line
and break the opposition’s
line of defence. And, with Cooper being in
contention for a Wallaby spot, it will also be
an opportunity for Peter de Villiers and the
national selectors to assess how Grant would
perform on international level.
The battle up in the engine room will, more
than likely, determine the winner in the end.
But while most Stormers supporters would
believe their team is likely to take home the
spoils against the Reds, Coetzee is under no
illusion. “Our focus is now on the Reds, who
are a difficult team to stop once they get into
the swing of things,” he said. “The competition is still young and we need to focus on
each match individually and maintain our
current performance levels.”

We will sell your house.....
Or we will buy it from you....
The price of the property must be suitable to both parties....

Trophy time
for Victoria
VICTORIA Cricket Club will hold its
annual presentation of trophies dance
at the John Graham Primary School
hall at the corner of Dick Burton and
Milford roads in Plumstead on Friday
8 April, starting at 19:30.
Snack platters will be provided and
tickets at R75 a person are available
from club members.

Stephanian diamonds are forever
THE Stephanian Table Tennis Club is
rallying its members – including its
former ace players– to share in its
60th anniversary celebration this
year.
Stephanian, which was founded in
1950 by the Pastor, Andrews and Meyer
families in Loader Street, Cape Town, intends honouring its stalwart administrators and players in recognition of their
commitment, during its diamond anniversary year. Stephanian regrouped at
the home of stalwart member, Pedro
Meyer, in Pinati Estate, Lansdowne after
the Group Areas Act forced residents in
the Loader Steet area to move elsewhere
during the 1970s.
The club’s top players include Lola
Jooste (WP and SA singles champion)
and Pedro Meyer (SA champion for several years), as well as the younger Grizelda Ruiters. Lorenzo Santamaria and
Shaun Jones went on to dominate provincial and national competitions.
Among the club’s rising stars are Mikail Meyer and Isgaak Jassiem – currently representing South Africa at the
World Youth Junior Championship and
African Youth Championship at the

Good Hope Centre in Cape Town from
1 – 10 April.
Stephanian currently uses the Blomvlei community centre in Hanover Park
and the Belthorn community centre for
competitions and practices.
The highlights of the anniversary celebration will be the Stephanian masters
championship at the Wittebome Civic
Centre from Sunday 1 until Friday 6
May.
The anniversary ball will be held on
Saturday 7 May at the same venue. The
deadline for masters entries is on Monday 25 April. Entries may be faxed to
(021) 433-2589 or emailed to stephanianttc@yahoo.com.
The admission charge is R60 for the anniversary dance. Call Clement Meyer on
082 707 6891, Anna Marie Meyer on
078 803 3228 or Pedro Meyer on (021) 6922556 for further details.

FULL FLIGHT:
Aimee Faulman
of False Bay Surf
Lifesaving Club
burns the sand
during the junior
sprints event at
the Hang Ten
South
Africa
Surf Lifesaving
Championship
that was held at
Camps
Bay
Beach from 30
March to 2
April. The Fish
Hoek Surf Life­
saving Club won
the senior and
junior competi­
tions to walk off
with the covet­
ed overall shield
at the annual
event.
Photo: Sportzpics

Premier Cup vibe engrosses soccer
place at Erica Park in Belhar from
Wednesday 20 until Monday 25
April (Easter Monday).
De Haan said he regarded the Premier Cup championship as being on
par with the major youth championships in Europe. “When I
watched the youth cup matches for
the first time last year I was impressed by the football passion that
prevailed, as well as the top-class
organisation of the event.”
De Haan, who ironically announced his retirement from toplevel coaching a day after the
launch on Tuesday 29 March, urged
young footballers to “live their
dreams” and stressed that intense
dedication and discipline should
not be compromised if players want
to play international soccer. The
Ajax coach will return to Holland in
May to spend time with his family.
Zuma said that it was an honour
for him to be named as the ambassa-

BRIAN GAFFNEY

THE Metropolitan Premier Cup
for under-19s reached new
heights when some of the who’s
who in South African football
rendered impetus to the launch
of the 23rd cup championship at
Cape Town Stadium.
Two much-revered VIP guests at
the launch were the legendary
Dutch coach Foppe de Haan – now
at the helm of Ajax Cape Town
FC – and former Bafana Bafana star
Sibusiso Zuma.
De Haan was the keynote speaker, while Zuma – currently spearheading the Vasco da Gama FC attack in the Premier Soccer League –
was honoured as the first tournament ambassador.
The Premier Cup championship – that carries R30 000 in prize
money for the winners – will take

dor of a tournament with such a
proud history of being a springboard for several of South Africa’s
finest footballers.
Bafana Bafana players like Benni
McCarthy, Muneeb Josephs, Steven Pienaar, Thulani Serero and
Matthew Booth, among others,
have progressed through the Premier Cup ranks to international
level.
“We need to pass on our knowledge and experiences to the current
crop of players so that they too can
succeed in life and become the legends of tomorrow,” said Zuma, who
has accepted a lucrative transfer
from Vasco to SuperSport United
FC at the end of this season.
Zuma’s tasks will include mentoring the youth footballers on the
life skills programmes at Belhar.
Ajax Cape Town FC, Santos FC,
Vasco Da Gama FC, Mamelodi Sundowns FC, Moroka Swallows, Blo-

emfontein Celtic, Kaizer Chiefs and
SuperSport United were among the
seeded teams in the draw.
The Cape Town-based clubs have
in recent years been overshadowed
by their rivals from the north, with
SuperSport United (2010), Sundowns (2009), Bright Stars (2007)
and Harmony Academy (2006) making their presence felt.
Ajax Cape Town – with Thulani
Serero and Sameehg Doutie playing
prominent roles won the – cup in
2008 and 2005, while Santos triumphed in 2005.
This year marks the biggest African contingent since the tournament’s inception, with clubs from
Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Botswana confirming
their entries.
The South Nottingham College
from England will be the other foreign team taking part in the 32-club
championship.